My name is Susannah Browne and I’ve been working as a receptionist at New Creation for 2 years now. The testimony I’d like to share today is of both myself and my extended family.
I was born and raised in a Christian home, for which I continue to be thankful. I also had many other faithful Christians in my life who had an impact on me spiritually. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 6 years old, and as I look back over my life I can point to several milestones in my Christian walk. When I was a teenager at a Christian summer camp I realized that I, personally, could have a relationship with God. Another milestone was a few years ago when a very difficult trial began in my life, and I began to learn what it means to follow and rejoice in God in the midst of suffering. Then, in the past couple years, although I do believe I’ve been a Christian for many years, I’ve started to understand more about repentance, and my personal need for God’s grace. We’re all equal sinners, but some of us have sins that are sometimes less “visible”, or don’t seem “as bad”, and even though I always understood I was a sinner, it’s one thing to know it intellectually, and it’s another thing to really recognize your own sinfulness, and feel how you do, actually, need a savior!
I mention my extended family because that’s had an impact on me, and many others in my family. Both my parents are Christians, and my dad’s parents were both strong and faithful Christians until they died. My grandmother was a Christian before she and my grandfather met, but my grandfather was not. He fell in love with my grandmother though, and as she attended Sunday night service every week, he would show up and walk her home afterwards. One night he was waiting outside the church, and it was cold out! He went inside to warm up, and he heard the gospel! I don’t remember if it was that night specifically, but after that he accepted Christ as his savior, and walked with him for the rest of his life. What is most striking to me about this is that my grandfather was…a little rough around the edges, and his father had been even more so. My grandfather’s name was Ed Smith. But family members and friends, who knew him before and after his conversion, testified to the difference Jesus made in his life! “Yeah, Ed’s rough around the edges…but you should’ve seen him before he became a Christian!” That’s the heart of the gospel! We are sinners, but Jesus redeems us! And from that conversion came a godly marriage (not a perfect one!), 5 godly children, and godly grandchildren. Not everyone in the family is a faithful Christian, but many are, and that’s a testimony to the power of Jesus to change and redeem! Praise God!
